Review of Production
mustard gas method had decided our policy, the: dye factory of Levinstein Limited vigorously converted tike process into a technical success, and what was still a laboratory reaction in the spring of 1917 became a successful manufacturing process in July of that year.
Released from its war responsibilities at the time of the Armistice, the British industry developed so rapidly that Lord Moolton, in a speech to the Colour Users Association on November 28th, 19x9, stated: "A few months before the war broke out England produced only one-tenth of the dyes she needed, but the amount which I am informed we shall be able to turn out at the end of this year would, in weight, be within one-fifth of the amount which England used before the war."
But the Allies were not only in difficulties with regard to the lack of suitable peace-time plant, and industrial organic chemical experience—they were hindered at almost every turn by difficulties with regard to raw materials and intermediates, the products of other chemical manufacture. They had to create a liquid chlorine industry. In April, 1915, the only liquid chlorine plant in England was in the hands of the firm of Castner Kellnerr whose maximum output was not more than a few tons per day. Increase in capacity was rendered necessary by chemical warfare developments. Chlorine was a raw material for mustard gas and practically every important substance employed in chemical warfare including bleaching powder. Tremendous tonnages of bleach were involved in the manufacture of chlor-picrin and for use as an antidote against mustard gas on the front. We refer elsewhere to the develop-ing use of bleach in order to create lanes for troops, and transport through areas infected by mustard
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